The Sharks have reported no fresh injury concerns after Saturday’s bruising win over the Blue Bulls, but will again be without lock Stephan Lewies as they head to Cape Town to take on Western Province this weekend.

Lewies has not played in two weeks – he was initially rested against Boland, but also missed the Bulls game due to a hamstring complaint. That injury has not cleared up sufficiently for him to be in selection contention for the weekend. Ruan Botha, who has now started two weeks in a row, scored a good try for the Sharks last week, but also committed a few handling errors during the gutsy-but-scrappy performance.

There’s better news for Michael Claassens; he returns to training this week after overcoming a knee ligament strain and will be considered. Dale Chadwick, a late withdrawal last week due to another hamstring injury, is touch and go for this week’s game.

59 Comments

Good news..

Lewies can rest a bit with Ruan fit, he needs game time to get 100% anyway..

The Sharks need to start focussing on rotation so that there is a bit of depth for the next Super Rugby campaign. All good and well winning in Currie Cup rugby, and then having no players for the new season.

@Richard Ferguson (Comment 3) : Its a tricky one as there doesnt seem to be a definite next in line for the 6 and 12 jersey. So whilst Sharks are winning i cant see the coach changing anything…results mean more than depth. What i can see is Esterhuizen being injured in about March next year should he play every CC game.

Guys,
So realistically what’s the expectation around Lambie? Anyone know?

Comment 6, posted at 30.08.16 11:14:50 by tokozaan

@Richard Ferguson (Comment 5) : Try convincing Rob DuPreez that he shouldnt worry about CC results but rather plan depth for next year. Same as the very critical public…wait till the Sharks lose 1 game this CC and see the comments irrespective if its our best available team or a rotational team.

Comment 7, posted at 30.08.16 11:15:55 by SheldonK

@tokozaan (Comment 6) : Looks like he may only be ready to play towards end of September…all depends how he reacts when he starts taking contact soon

Yeah look, I’m not saying it is easy or rational, and I agree that fans are fickle.

Still I feel there should be room for experimenting. Which they have done to a certain degree, with Bosch playing fullback, but still, if there are other areas of concern, playing someone likely to be next in line for the second half or even 20 minutes at the end of the game will not hurt..

@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : I think the 22man squads make it difficult to try someone especially amongst the backs. And in the other positions they have had different guys. Just at 6 and 12 there has been nothing besides Daniel and Esterhuizen since the middle of super rugby. Who would be next??

@SheldonK (Comment 13) : bear in mind we have Kleinhans, Majola and the impressive Geldenhuys as options at 6. It’s tough to rotate when Keegan is such a key guy in that pack. This is a short season and the Sharks want and need a trophy. I can understand them prioritising winning at this stage.

Regarding 12, I spoke to Gold briefly. He told me Am is the logical next guy in line at 12, with Marius Louw 3rd.

Comment 15, posted at 30.08.16 11:32:47 by robdylan

@Richard Ferguson (Comment 14) : @robdylan (Comment 15) : Yes we have Majola and Kleinhans but they have been in the system for how long now and are yet to do anything really to suggest we should continue investing in them…but them being there has probably prevented others from staking a claim. Keegan being capt will pretty much mean he will play every game barring injury. And as you say it is a short CC campaign so unlikely much ’2017 planning’ will get done during the CC barring give a bit of exposure to some youngsters. Am does seem to be the next guy in line at 12.

Comment 16, posted at 30.08.16 11:41:56 by SheldonK

@SheldonK (Comment 16) : I’m hoping that – recently freed up from day to day coaching – our Director of Rugby will be looking at who he needs to bring in for Super Rugby.

Comment 17, posted at 30.08.16 11:44:58 by robdylan

What are the selectors going to do about a (decent) Sharks scrumhalf? I think most of our backline problems start at our number 9… Did Stefan Ungerer give ONE decent pass to Radebe? No, …..the passes were on Radebe’s feet, above his head, behind him or far in front of him. Other times he kicked weak, useless kicks …… to the oppositon. It is a miracle that our backline ever got going … If we have a good scrumhalf, our backline, with our dangerous centres (A + A), will be great and will play good running rugby. Am I being too critical, or did some of you notice this too?

Comment 18, posted at 30.08.16 11:50:56 by swan

@robdylan (Comment 17) : Yeh look even the most balanced squad can be decimated by a few injuries in the same positions but having said that i think the Sharks are fairly well covered in most positions. I do think that we perhaps have a few guys on our books that are o longer u21 and arent adding value. Areas i think need to be looked at: The 3rd hooker, Options at 6, options/combos at 12&13

Comment 19, posted at 30.08.16 11:53:16 by SheldonK

@swan (Comment 18) : Sharks currently have Reinach, Claasens, Ungerer, Venter, Juries and new kid Damian Stevens on their books….cant see any scrumhalf coming in anytime soon.

@SheldonK (Comment 19) : @robdylan (Comment 15) : Having seen his array of chip- and grubber kicks, I reckon Am could probably do the job at 12. There’s also the option of Inny at 10, Pat at 12.

Comment 22, posted at 30.08.16 12:05:08 by Culling Song

@robdylan (Comment 21) : Crises yes- we may need to shed one or two. But a couple are still young

Comment 23, posted at 30.08.16 12:13:51 by SheldonK

@Culling Song (Comment 22) : Very true. Who would be your 13 with Inny 10 and Pat 12…Am?

Comment 24, posted at 30.08.16 12:14:50 by SheldonK

@robdylan (Comment 17) : Shit and here was I thinking that he’d happily occupy himself by setting a second hand cars lot on the out fields of K.P .

Comment 25, posted at 30.08.16 12:18:09 by The hound

@SheldonK (Comment 24) : Am, Ward or Maritz. Whoever is in best nick at that point. At this moment in time, you’ll hear no complaints from me if we persist with Am though

Comment 26, posted at 30.08.16 12:29:12 by Culling Song

What about signing that Pretorius kid from Cheetahs craven week side as a backup at 12? Wacthing the last few games I feel that Thomas Du Toit is carrying too much weight and is thus lacking a bit of power. Maybe needs to lose 5-10 kgs? Or maybe I’m wrong. Any thougths on that?

Comment 27, posted at 30.08.16 12:36:34 by sudhir

@Culling Song (Comment 26) : Yeh i am happy with the Esterhuizen/Am partnership. Inny has done well but would love to see Lambie with that partnership.

Comment 28, posted at 30.08.16 12:52:28 by SheldonK

We are getting that kid from the Kings next year as well. So we should be decently stocked at centre.

@sudhir (Comment 27) : I’m happy with his scrumming at 3, against admittedly average opposition. I would like him to lose a couple of kgs to aid in mobility. He’s getting caught offside a lot…. anyone else notice that?

Comment 32, posted at 30.08.16 13:58:17 by robdylan

@robdylan (Comment 32) : AT 130+ kgs he is definitely carrying too much weight and as a result has lost a lot of his mobility and power. As you say he gets caught offside and how often does he carry the ball these days? Carrying the ball, especially running onto it used to be a big strength of his. Seems he has been moved to the Beast school of propping where you just move scrum to scrum and not much inbetween,

Comment 33, posted at 30.08.16 14:05:25 by SheldonK

@SheldonK (Comment 33) : I wonder if they did make him bulk up in order for him to be more comfortable at scrum time. I am sure that they will slim him down once his scrumming is at a desirable level.

Comment 34, posted at 30.08.16 14:40:41 by KingRiaan

@KingRiaan (Comment 34) : Not sure how the excess weight would help. I mean he was already 120+ when he arrived. Although majoirty of SA conditioning coaches seem so far off the pace when compared to rest of the world…we go for bulk over strength and power

Comment 35, posted at 30.08.16 15:02:01 by SheldonK

And in other news, I see Dale Chadwick has decided to FJELN to Narbonne…

Comment 36, posted at 30.08.16 16:21:27 by Culling Song

@Culling Song (Comment 36) : don’t know what FJELN means but get the general idea and on his form (especially this season) sad news indeed.

Comment 37, posted at 30.08.16 18:26:21 by JD

Well we are being forced to give Botha more game time. Not a bad thing if you ask me. We are notorious for letting talent rust.

@Culling Song (Comment 36) : I’ll get that up tomorrow. Just need to stop beating my head against the wall at the stupidity of letting him go

Comment 40, posted at 30.08.16 20:01:24 by robdylan

@swan (Comment 18) : @SheldonK (Comment 20) : @robdylan (Comment 21) : I fully agree the 9 has been a problem for a while now,the first four are rank average at best,no SR material in them,in fact they problematic in the CC,so best Sharks try the last 4,when Jake came calling he took CW, didnt bother with others,clearly a reason for that

Comment 41, posted at 30.08.16 22:06:26 by benji

So saw some interesting news- Dick Muir has been appointed director of rugby for Durban Crusaders. Good news for that club as im sure he will add a lot of value. Its probably also no surprise that DHS rugby has been on an upward curve since Ronnie Uys got involved there- he is a very under rated forwards coach

@SheldonK (Comment 2) : @SheldonK (Comment 30) : I think Shane Gates would be an asset at 12 as backup, I would swap Dan and Phillip around.

Comment 46, posted at 31.08.16 13:26:32 by Tumza

@Tumza (Comment 46) : I do agree on Gates…think he is a good player and could be better next to better players. The 6,7,8 number doesnt really matter to me- its more the combination

Comment 47, posted at 31.08.16 13:33:17 by SheldonK

@SheldonK (Comment 47) : Do you think we have sufficient cover at 3,11 and14. For me 13 is also an issue after AM there is no one unless Dup will be the coach atleast he gives youngsters opportunities unlike GG.

Comment 48, posted at 31.08.16 14:12:53 by Tumza

@Tumza (Comment 48) : At 13 there is Am, also Jeremy Ward arriving at end of the year and then Mjekevu and Sithole can also play there as well as Marius Louw and Tristan Blewitt from the youngsters. As for 3 there is Adriaanse, DuToit and Coenie…youngsters after that. 11/14 there is Mvovo, Ndungane, Sithole, Mjekevu, Nkosi, Maritz so lots there to be given a chance.

@robdylan (Comment 50) : I like him at wing or 13, much like Maritz. Both players run hard and dont seem to hold back which i like. Also both seem to have some good pace and power.

Comment 51, posted at 31.08.16 14:49:24 by SheldonK

@SheldonK (Comment 49) : Ward is yet to play CC, Mjekevu doesn’t seem to be rated because he is not playing and I heard Sithole might be leaving lets remember SR is unforgiving and youngsters should be tested now. For me Du Toit should be our 1st choice L/H. Only Mvovo is a certain starter with Ngungane just there for guidance, Mjekevu and Sithole see above comment Nkosi and Maritz are untested.

Comment 52, posted at 31.08.16 14:56:40 by Tumza

@Tumza (Comment 52) : Its the way rugby is in SA…expereinced high profile players are contniually leaving…teams dont have the luxury of always just playing tested players and Boks. Sharks have been very fortunate that in recent past we have had a large number of Boks in our side…those have left and a new generation has to come through…and yes they will be untested. Im very happy to give the guys within our system a go…cant see the harm only the benefit.

Comment 53, posted at 31.08.16 15:01:36 by SheldonK

@robdylan (Comment 50) : must say a couple of the youngsters that played for the Impi excites me.

Comment 54, posted at 31.08.16 19:53:58 by JD

@JD (Comment 54) : we could be looking at a stupendous backline in a few years’ time…. Gouws, Radebe, Louw, Blewett, Nkosi, Bosch…. just not quite sure who the left wing would be.

Comment 55, posted at 01.09.16 09:47:32 by robdylan

@robdylan (Comment 55) : Blewitt could be on the wing. Guys like Andre Esterhuizen and Neil Maritz arent much older than those you mentioned.